To protect products from being damaged by collisions during transportation, manufacturers would usually put cushioning material in the packing container to surround and thereby protect the products in the container for shipping. In the past, molded polylon was used as cushioning material in packing. However, since polylon can not be recycled and forms an environmental hazardous pollutant, its use as packing or cushioning material has been strictly prohibited by many advanced and developed countries. These countries also clearly regulate that such cushioning material must be made from recycled, environmental hazard-free pulp.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional pulp-molded cushioning material 10 which is in the form of a box with side walls 11. For the mold to be easily shaken out, the side walls 11 of the box-like cushioning material 10 must be so formed that they are slightly inclined. These slightly inclined side walls 11 also permit the box-like cushioning material 10 to be conveniently stacked. However, following disadvantages are found in the above described box-like cushioning material:
1. The box-like cushioning material 10 each has a considerable height and will therefore, occupy large room after being stacked one after another and cause inconvenience in the storage and transportation thereof. PA1 2. The inclined side walls 11 prevent the cushioning material 10 from fitly contacting with and accordingly, protecting the product 41 packed therein. That is, the cushioning effect provided by the box-like cushioning material 10 is largely reduced. PA1 3. Raised portions 13 formed on the side walls 11 must be a continued portion of the bottom side 12 of the box 10 to facilitate the shaking out of mold. This will obviously restrict the positions and dimensions of the raised portions 13 and therefore reversely affects the cushioning function thereof. PA1 4. To prevent the three-dimensional box 10 from deformation, flange 14 must be provided on the box 10 around its top periphery to enhance the strength of the box 10. The flange 14 will cause a considerable clearance between the packing container and the product being packed and therefore, reduces the cushioning function of the box-like cushioning material 10. PA1 5. The mold for making the pulp molding is made of aluminium and must be precisely engraved and drilled by means of computer (the whole mold is properly provided with multiple through holes to facilitate the attachment of pulp to the mold by the application of the vacuum. Due to the high side walls of the box-like cushioning material 10, the mold for it would be thicker, too.